The Despair Before Christmas
by ko-drabbles
Summary: Mondo feels he's an incompetent king of Halloween compared to his brother, but rather than talking to shadows, he should take comfort in the arms of the sweet boy who lives in Dr Ishida's tower. TW: Gore, dismemberment, abuse, guro themes, stalking etc. IshiMondo, NaeGami, SakurAoi, and Soudam. One-sided TogaFuka.
1. Chapter 1

He watched from his tower, as he always did, looking down on the townspeople as they went about their annual celebration of Halloween. The witches cackled, the ghosts moaned, the monsters emerged from the shadows and everything was just how it was last year. He watched Kirigiri and Togami monitor the proceedings, not participating unless they had to – due to Togami's second face being broken and Kirigiri's general apathy to it all.

He resolved to sneak into the town square when the traditional song was over, and hopefully feel more of a part of the celebration than he had the year before; back when he only had the left hemisphere of his brain. Well, now the right hemisphere was growing in nicely, thanks to Ondo's serum, didn't need a wheelchair anymore and felt more confident in his interpersonal interactions.

Although, that wasn't just due to having an almost completed brain, but two friends; Chihiro and Mondo. They talked to him when no one else did – except Ondo, of course – but they talked of grass under their feet and fresh air, when Ondo only focussed him on his studies.

He was just a 'who', as Ondo explained, so no one had to know he was there; except for Togami and Kirigiri, as they were the town's government in a way, and they periodically came to watch Ondo poke around in his brain and torso. He was an experiment, an improvement, perfection in the making; and it was a boring life, shut in a tower.

It wasn't as if he didn't love Ondo. He really did! He gave him life, and a name, and books to read, meals to cook, and clothes to mend. However, he had to resort to drastic measures to even think about stepping foot outside. Speaking of which…

He hopped off the windowsill – his brief appearance as the 'shadow in the tower', as Ondo put it, over – and eased open the door, checking to see if Ondo was still around before he tip-toed down the stairs and out the door of his "brother's" laboratory. He was probably still sleeping soundly from the deadly night shade he'd slipped in his tea, just before the celebration began.

He stuck to the shadows, making sure no one saw him as he watched the star of the show – Mondo, the King of Halloween.

Mondo performed just as he had the year before. Not that it wasn't well executed, but it was something he'd done before; brought in on a straw horse, wearing a jack-o-lantern on his head and a ragged suit stuffed with straw, then set alight to the gasps and awe of the crowd. The king jumped into the slimy, algae-ified fountain, extinguishing the flames before he rose unharmed from the water, clad in a pristine black suit and his visible bones shining in the moonlight.

Mondo, due to being nothing but a skeleton, was very thin. However, on one boring evening a few months ago, Mondo had allowed him to examine his bones, and he'd concluded that when those bones had been covered in flesh, he'd been a muscular, heavy-set man. It was interesting to see the muscle markers indenting Mondo's bones, to see what flesh could have made him look like.

He'd been thinking of Mondo for quite some time, and knew his feelings for him were strong; however, the right hemisphere was the more emotional side of the brain, which he'd been without for all of his existence. He didn't know how to process the newly broadening emotions, or how to categorise them beyond 'happy' and 'sad'; unfortunately, his studies didn't include deciphering emotions.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as Mondo took a bow, ending the ceremony. He smiled like he had the year before, also, and he didn't know why but… Mondo's smile seemed off then, too. Not that he was very informed of that sort of thing.

"Great Halloween everyone," Togami sighed, not an ounce of feeling in the words. He must have meant them, however, as Kirigiri rolled her single eye and scribbled something in her notebook; and she avoided rolling her eye in case it fell out, reserving only for when Togami was blatantly hiding his real feelings on matters. That was what Ondo told him.

"I think that was our most horrifyin' yet!" Mondo enthused, attempting to make up for the mayor's lack of visible enthusiasm, "Thank ya, everyone!"

"No, thanks to you, Mondo," Togami drawled, "Without your brilliant leadership."

"Not at all, mayor!" He laughed. Mondo had such a nice laugh, and it always made his chest feel warm. He wanted to hear that laugh always, every day.

That was when all of Mondo's admirers stepped forward to offer their praise and adoration, encroaching on the king's personal space as they closed in on him. It made him feel… bad. He didn't know why, couldn't articulate it, and he couldn't even ask Ondo.

He let out a small yelp as he was suddenly yanked backwards and around the corner, a familiar hand clamping over his mouth.

"The deadly night shade you slipped me wore off, Taka," Ondo growled, shoving him away and watching as he stumbled to the ground, his coordination still a little lacking, "You are supposed to be studying!"

He was. He was meant to study every day, for as long as Ondo wanted him to.

"Please, Ondo," He begged, "I really wanted to watch the celebration closer, just a little break! I'll study hard tomorrow and –"

"No tomorrows, Taka," Ondo snapped, "You're meant to be perfect. How do you expect to be perfect if you won't study and work for it? You're coming with me!"

Ondo grabbed his arm, forcing him to his feet and attempting to drag him away. He didn't want to go back yet, however…

"No I'm not!" He snapped, popping the stitching on his arm and running away, the limb still in Ondo's grasp.

"Come back here!" The scientist snapped, but Taka was too busy running towards the cemetery; where he always went when he was upset.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Ishimaru calls Ishida Ondo (as in KiyONDO), while Ishida calls him Taka (KiyoTAKA)**

 **Taka's memories only go back a year, as that was when he was created. This will go into more detail soon.**

 **The serum mentioned was to speed up and increase the brain's regenerative functions, as it would be needed to increase Taka's functionality.**

 **Taka needed a wheelchair when he only had the left hemisphere of his brain because he'd only be able to control his right side - as each hemisphere only controls half of the body. (I don't know how well I explained that, so you may need google)**


	2. Chapter 2

Kiyotaka sat on the cold dirt of the grave, back pressed against the headstone and legs splayed out in front of him. His chest heaved from the exertion and panic of running away from Ondo, and his one hand clutched at his chest. It was a terrible, rash decision and, even if he could live away from Ondo, he was missing his entire arm!

Besides, he should be grateful! Ondo did so much for him, and how does he repay his creator? By repeatedly poisoning him. It didn't matter that he wasn't allowed to go outside; Mondo and Chihiro snuck into his room, anyway. He should also be focussing on his studies! He had to achieve what Ondo, Togami and Kirigiri wanted, after all…

But what sort of life was that? He didn't know how the grass felt when he walked on it with bare feet. He didn't know what a "calming breeze" felt like. He didn't know any of the townspeople, despite being alive for two years, functional for the last one.

No! Ondo loved him, and he loved Ondo! Ondo was kind, Ondo was good!

… Wasn't he?

This was giving him a headache. A bad one, at that. His feelings were messy and confused, and poor Ondo seemed to take the brunt of it. He didn't deserve that. Ondo loved him.

He jumped as he heard the rusty metal gate of the cemetery creak open, crawling behind the headstone he was leaning against as quickly as he could. Had Ondo found him? Did he have to go back so soon? He didn't want to! He wanted to breathe for a moment and –

… Mondo? What was he doing here?

He was about to leave his hiding place and go to his friend when… he saw the look on his face. For a skeleton with no facial muscle, he just looked so… depressed. He'd never seen him that sad before… What was going on?

Mondo finally got away from the crazy fans. He didn't like having to do that every year, that was for sure. How the hell did Daiya manage it? Being chased around by crazy people wasn't fun, and Chi didn't help one bit! Taka was still in that damn tower, also. He'd said that he'd try and convince Ishida to let him go, and Mondo had really doubted that'd happen in the first place, but… He wanted Taka to be there.

Screw the experiment, screw Togami, and, most of all, screw Ishida! All Taka wanted was to take a break, to enjoy himself!

He was just annoyed, really. He was also trying to focus on that more than the other thoughts in his head. He didn't want to think about how much better Diya was, how he had more original ideas, how Mondo was stuck doing Diya's last routine year after year after –

… Shit.

He sighed dejectedly, opening the cemetery gates. He had someone to see, after all…

"Chuck," He called, patting the back of his leg. The little ghost of a small dog nipped at his heels; looking more like a blanket with a fluffy head than a dog, as disturbing as the image was…

He didn't have to walk long at all, the grave being only a few rows down from Chuck's. Diya's grave.

He sat next to the marble headstone, a deep sigh attempting to rid his chest of that awful, empty feeling… metaphorically speaking. He missed performing alongside Daiya, the prince to his king, and scaring the life out of people together. He repeated that last performance because it was his best – their best – and it almost felt like… Daiya was still there. It was stupid, he should move on, but it wasn't like he ever expected to be left alone one day.

He could blame the living humans, wherever they were, for that. Exorcism. Death for the dead.

No one knew what was happening. Firstly, Daiya got very sick – tired and drained, to the point where he could barely get out of bed – and then he just… died. Again. All Mondo could remember was his own screaming, crying and pleading as his big brother slipped away.

"Hey, bro," He greeted the cold, marble gravestone, sitting in the still-damp dirt beside it but not caring, "You doin' okay? Well… Guess you ain't doin' bad, so that's alright. So, Halloween's over for another year. Look, I know that this is what ya wanted for me, but… I dunno. It's different, without you. I don't want to be that whiny kid clinging to ya, but I got no inspiration. It feels wrong to rewrite any of your stuff. It feels wrong to do anything but our last routine, really… The townspeople still seem to like it, but it all feels empty. I just… want something… something…"

It was then that Kiyotaka heard a snap!, and felt something give way under his palm.

"Who's there?" Mondo called, biting his lip. He didn't like people seeing him like that, vulnerable. He was supposed to be a king, after all, and he'd built his own castle walls so high that no one could see past them. He liked hanging out with Chi and Taka, yeah, but he trusted the both of them.

Besides, he wanted to protect Taka. He remembered when the boy was miserable, clipped into a wheelchair and only able to use one arm and one leg. His speech was mumbled, too, but he'd never forget that pretty, lopsided smile the other gave him…

"Don't worry," Kiyotaka called softly, crawling out from behind the grave at a rather slow pace, "Just a nobody…"

"Taka… How long have you been there?" Mondo asked, a smile stretching his bony features, before he caught sight of the torn skin at the stump that was once Kiyotaka's arm. The grin faded, replaced with concern, "What happened?"

Kiyotaka shifted uneasily, his remaining hand cupping the stump, and he forced a frail laugh. "You know what I'm like, Mondo…" He began with a plastic smile, "I'd lose my head if it wasn't sewn fast…"

Something in Mondo's expression – in his smile – seemed sad. No, something more than that. Something with more meaning than simple sadness. He doesn't know how to define it, however; something's either happy or it's sad to him. Or angry, like Kiyondo can be. He hasn't quite managed to go beyond that yet, not that his studies include learning how to recognise more complex emotions; this is the reason why he hates Japanese and English, he doesn't understand properly.

"Well, d'ya want me to help ya –"

"No!" He cut in, too loud and abrupt in the empty cemetery. His cheeks coloured, and he turned away; perfect, straight teeth biting on his lip, "I mean… I know where I left it, I'll go get it in a minute! But… are you okay? You seem… sad."

He did. So sad, so lost, and his scarred heart went out to him. If it'd make Mondo smile, he's reach into his chest cavity through separated ribs, pulling out that mass of muscle tissue and pressing it in his bony hands. Maybe it's wrong but, as it wouldn't kill him – maybe – he feels like he'd enjoy that. Mondo holding the warm flesh in his hands, maybe even… feeling his heartbeat. It was… intimate.

He then realised that these were inappropriate thoughts to have, especially at that moment, and focussed all his attention on the present. Mondo opened his mouth once, twice without a sound, struggling to find his words.

"Taka, I'm… I'm fine, don't worry," He assured, voice as tired as his smile, "I guess I'm just havin' some kinda existential crisis, or somethin'. I'll just relax, and it'll work itself out."

Kiyotaka never really understood these things. Questioning his life, his existence… Not only did he not have time, but he knew why. He existed to be perfect, Kiyondo's defining moment. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than not existing at all.

"If you say I don't need to worry, then I'll believe you, but…" He began, hesitating a moment before soldiering on, "That doesn't mean I won't. I care about you Mondo, and I won't be able to help that. I want you to be happy…"

A skeletal hand ruffles his hair, and Mondo's smile shifts into something less tired; however, it still felt somewhat… grim.

"Thanks, dude," He chuckled, sincerely, "I know it ain't as poetic to say same but, well… You know I care about you too. I'm just gonna go for a walk with Chuck, clear my head. I'd offer for you to come with, but Ishida'll be waking up soon, right? And your… your arm…"

He would've been happy to follow the other but… Mondo was right. He didn't want to push his luck any further. He merely waved goodbye and made his trek up to Kiyondo's lab, each step feeling heavier and heavier, as if he was being weighed down by some invisible weight.


End file.
